Rape claim by teen accused of murder under probe

PETALING JAYA: Investigators have started looking into the rape claim by a teenage girl who is charged with the murder of her newborn in Terengganu recently, says the Attorney General’s Chamber.

Depending on the outcome of the rape case, the prosecution could still review the murder charge against the 15-year-old girl, it added.

The AGC said the rape incident was only known after the teen was arrested, where a police report was lodged by her on Feb 8.

It said the current charge against the teenager, who allegedly stabbed her newborn baby to death, was made through a transparent process of criminal justice.

“However, the prosecution can examine and review the results of the original charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code (for murder) to other charge after taking into account additional developments,” the AGC said in a statement yesterday.

“The State Prosecutors director office has given permission for charges against a child aged 14 years 11 months under Section 302 of the Penal Code related to the death of the newborn baby.

“The charge was made based on the testimonies of witnesses and documentations as well as the testimonies of forensic officers and the confirmation of a pathologist that the dead baby was between 38 to 40 weeks old weighing 2.49kg at birth with the umbilical cord cut with a sharp object, and there were other injuries including a stab wound on the body,” the statement read.

The teenager will be tried through a court process in accordance with the Child Act 2001 (Act 611) as the accused is a child as defined under the Act and if convicted, she will be ordered to be detained under Section 97 (2) of the same Act, the AGC added.